Multiple material golf club head

• US 7,387,577 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Helmstetter, Richard C., Rollinson, Augustin W., Soracco, Peter L., Galloway, J. Andrew, Cackett, Matthew T., Hocknell, Alan, Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti; Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US11/566,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473305-315
• US Class Current: 473/305
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club (40) having a club head (42) with a face component (60) and an aft body (61) is disclosed herein. The face component (60) has a striking plate portion (72) and a return portion (74). The aft-body (61) is composed of a crown portion (62), a sole portion (64) and optionally a ribbon section (90). The face component (60) is composed of a metal material, and the aft-body (61) is composed of a non-metal material such as a composite material or a thermoplastic material. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has an aspect ratio less than 1.7. The striking plate portion (72) preferably has concentric regions of thickness with the thickness portion in the center (102). The club head (42) has a volume in the range of 290 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters, a weight in the range of 165 grams to 300 grams, and a striking plate portion (72) surface area in the range of 4.00 square inches to 7.50 square inches. The golf club head (42) has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.81 under test conditions such as the USGA test conditions specified pursuant to Rule 4-1e, Appendix II, of the Rules of Golf for 1998-1999.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a face component composed of a forged metal material and comprising a return portion and a striking plate portion, the striking plate portion having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the striking plate portion extending from a heel section of the golf club head to a toe section of the golf club head, a return extending laterally inward from a perimeter of the striking plate portion, and an interior tubing for receiving a shaft, the interior tubing engaging an upper section of the return portion and a lower section of the return portion; and

an aft body composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg, the aft body comprising crown portion and a sole portion, the crown portion attached to the return portion at a distance of at least 0.50 inch from the perimeter of the striking plate portion, the sole portion secured to the return portion at a distance of at least 0.50 inch from the perimeter of the striking plate portion.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the face component has a mass ranging from 65 grams to 95 grams.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the aft-body has a mass ranging from 15 grams to 50 grams.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a volume ranging from 350 cubic centimeters to 510 cubic centimeters.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion comprises an upper lateral section and a lower lateral section.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion comprises a heel lateral section and a toe lateral section.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion comprises an upper lateral section.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the return portion comprises a lower lateral section.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1 wherein the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution ranging from 0.81 to 0.94.